Fire-extinguishing material



Io Drawing.

Patented Feb. 17, 19.31

UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE Lorna .1. nueas, or cmcaeo, rrinmors, assrenoa 'ro nu-ea's FIRE EZ'IINGUISHEB ooarom'rron, or maw YORK, N. z, a coarona'rxon or nnnawaaa V rmn nxmeursnme Marianna V This invention relates to fire extinguishing material and to a method of using such material inthe extinction of fires.

In the usual type of chemical fire extin- 5 guisher, a liquid is employed, either of the organic non combustible class such as carbon tetrachloride, or a solution of sodium bicarbonate and an acid adapted when brought into to soli dry form, ada t without theuse o liquids to the confiagra- -ind tion area.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of applying a dry fire extinguishing powder to a fire by delivering the same in a high pressure stream of a noncombustible gas.-

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the following description and appended claims.

I have now found that sodium bicarbonate form makes a very efiicient fire extinglnshing material if applied directly to the burning objects. Especially is this true of oil fires, where water is worse than useless since it simply tends to spread the fire. Sodium bicarbonate on the other hand has a twofold advantage in fighting oil fires. In the first place, the heat of the fire decomposes the bicarbonate to liberate carbon dioxide which forms a blanket around the fire and eventually smothers it. In the second place, the sodium carbonate formed as a result of the decomposition of the bicarbonate, if sufiiciently heated, fusesover the surface of the oil to form a non-combustible film. In the case of fires caused b electric arc, the sodium carbonate tends to e 'over the sur-' Application filed September 19, 1987. Serial No. 280,821.

face of the conductors to form an insulating film, thus resulting in the smothering of the arc.

I have further found that sodium bicarbonate may be satisfactorily mixed with certain other ingredients adapted to prevent the bicarbonate from cakin and also adapted to form a flux over the hurning material. Among these other ingredients may be mentioned fillers, such as mfusorial earth, asbestos dust, silica and ash, and fusible materials such as sodium borate, calcium chloride an sodium chloride. As an example of a satisfactory composition of my fire extinguishing material, the following analysis is given:

Per cent Sodium bicarbonate Calcium chloride; 15 Sodium borate 10 Silica 2 Ash 3 Sodium chloride 5 In fighting fires, this fire extinguishing matenal is preferably used in connection with my fire extin isher shown in m copending application, erial N 0. 132,179, til 28, 1926. In that application there is shown a cylindrical container adapted to be filled It will be apparent that my fire extinguished Augusting material has none of the disadvantages of the liquid chemicals commonly used and is therefore much more satisfactory for fighting fires. It should be further noted that no water is necessary in the a plication of the extinguishing powder an v that therefore there is no attendant damage such as is so often the case in fires in which large quantities of water are used.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of the process may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purlpose limiting the patent granted hereon, ot erwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claimas my invention 1. Fire extinguishing material having approximately the fellowing composition and adapted to be applied in dry form:

Per cent Sodium bicarbonate Calcium chloride 15 Sodium borate 10 Silica 2 Ash 3 Sodium chloride 5 2. Fire extinguishing material com rised largely of dry sodium icarbonate, an containing relatively smaller quantities of calcium chloride, sodium borate, sodium chloride, and a filler.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook County,

Illinois.

LODIAS J. D'UGAS. 

